First And Only Crush
by Calliwishis
Summary: Peeta mistakes Katniss for a boy. How? Peeta is Katniss's first and only crush. Or so she claims. Will they be able to get over the past?


**Katniss's POV (The Second Grade!)**

I remember in kindergarten, someone pulled my hair, and for the rest of the school year random people from town would pull on my braids. I remember yanking off my beanie, and the cold December air hit my face. I grasped the ponytail rubber band and pulled, on both of them, and tucked my hair up, and put my beanie over it all.

No one has messed with me since. I even made a town friend. His name is Peeta Mellark, who is the bakers son. But the weather isn't December any more. It's summer, which means no school.

I knock on Peeta's door. I'm always scared about who answers the door. It could be Peeta's mom, and she would shoo me away. Or it could be Peeta's bigger brothers. One is a fourth grader, who teases me about my beanie, or the fifth grader, who would always rough house with Peeta or his other brother right in front of me. The fifth grader says I should love rough housing.

But I don't know why. But this time, to my luck, Peeta answers the door, pulling his shoes on. He smiles and comes out the door. Ever since I met Peeta, which was on the last who weeks of kindergarten, I had a big crush on him. "What do you wanna do today?" He asks. I pull my beanie more over my head. "I dunno." I reply. "Why do you always wear a beanie?" He asks.

"Lets play pretend." I change the subject. "Sure." He replies. "I'll be the baker. And you'll be. . .?" He trails off. "I'll be a huntress." I say with a smile. "Girls can be a hunter?" He asks. "You want to _be _ a _girl _hunter?" He asks. I raise an eyebrow and nod. He gives me a look, then goes over to a mud puddle. "Wait." I put a hand on his shoulder, and he freezes, just over the surface of the mud.

He turns around. "Hm?" He asks, and he looks nervous. "Lets say we are boyfriend and girlfriend, and I wanna give you a kiss." I say boldly. His eyes widen and his jaw drops open. I put my lips over his, and I close my eyes. But he pushes me, and I almost fall to the ground. "Katniss!" He whispers loudly. "I'm. . . I'm not gay!" And with that, he runs into his house, slamming the door. And leaving me utterly confused.

That explains it. Peeta's brother telling me I should love rough housing. No one messing with me anymore. Since the beanie will be a bad memory, I throw it toward his house, and I run home, tears flooding my eyes.

**Third Grade! First day of school!**

"I am not going to school without a new beanie." I announce. "What happened to your other one?" My dad asks. "I lost it." I mumble. "I'm going to bring little Prim to her first day of kindergarten. Then I'll buy a new beanie, and I'll bring you to school." Dad promises.

"I'll be late." I point out, looking at the ground. "It'll be okay." My dad reassures me, lifting my chin up. Dad, mom and Prim leave.

I haven't made any friends. I wont make any friends. It'll bring back. . . Such a memory. . . Tears begin to flood my eyes, giving my eyes a glassy reflection. My first crush. . . Thought I was a boy. I will never love again. I learned the consequence. And I don't like it one bit.

Suddenly, my fission is blurred. I yank off the cloth from my head. It's a beanie. I swiftly put it back on, only to hear my parents sigh. "When will you show your pretty hair?" My mother asks. "When pigs can fly." I reply bitterly. My parents tell out relatives I wasn't always like this. And I know I wasn't. I walk past them both, out of the door.

We live four streets down from my school. I walk at a fair rate, so my parents know to keep distance. It's not even my fault I am this way. How would you feel if your first crush thought you were a boy/girl, when you were the opposite gender? You'd think I'd never wear the hat again, but that would start yet another problem. The kids would pull my braids.

Ever since then, I am rotten to everyone. Especially town people. I look up from the ground, and see the school is the distance. "Bye, mommy, bye daddy." I wave without looking behind me. I am about fifteen minutes late. How will I explain this? 'Oh, um, I lost my hat. Can't live without the hat.' That will work out fine. I roll my eyes at my own comment.

I sigh deeply, and finally push through the doors of my classroom. All eyes turn to me. Only a pair stand out. He's here. "Everdeen. There you are. Take the last available seat, next to Peeta Mellark." She's not mad. I guess I should be late more often. I sit in my seat without a word, nor a greet to my old friend. My teacher, Mrs. Trinket, hands me a paper. I nod in thanks.

I go rummaging through my backpack, but finally sigh. I give up. I don't have a pencil. Why does life always have to be hard on me? I put my head on the table. Why, why, why, why?! I'm about to knock my head onto the table, when I hear a _clank_ of wood hit my desk. I lift my head, and see Peeta's arm retracting. I look at my desk, to see a pencil on my desk. I stare at it.

"It wont bite." He whispers. "You sure?" I hiss. He looks taken aback, but finally sighs. "I just wanted to help a friend-" I widen my eyes and slam the pencil back onto his desk. A few eyes flit towards the scene. "You are _not _my friend. Friends don't leave each other with a broken heart." I whisper loudly. I see the hurt expression on him.

A tear rolls down his face, onto his nose, and finally, onto the paper. "B-B-But Katniss, I'm not gay. . ." He whispers. The bell rings. I wait until every student and Mrs. Trinket leaves, of course to watch the kids at recess.

I pull him up by the shirt. "I." I begin, staring into his eyes. "Am. Not." I don't have the heart to say it. "Ugh!" I throw him back into his seat. I sigh, tears filling my eyes. "A-A-Are you going to beat me up?" He asks crying. I sigh, and finally take off my beanie. I throw it into the trash can. "A boy." I finish. "Y-Y-You're a girl!" He stutters, tears barely stopping. I take the rubber band from both of my braids, and let him see the real me.

"I-I-I-" I stop his words, by planting a goodbye kiss onto his lips. I let go of him, and begin to walk out of the door. "Don't." He whispers. I keep walking. Away from it all. Him, my first and only crush.


End file.
